The Little Things

In his best seller, Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania, Erik Larson says,

In the end, Schweiger's attack on the Lusitania succeeded because of a chance confluence of forces. Even the tiniest alteration in a single vector could have saved the ship.

When I read the over-a-page-long list of If onlys proposed by Larson --had the ship not been delayed by being commissioned to pick up passengers from another vessel, had the fog remained minutes longer, had the U-boat captain not miscalculated the Lusitania's speed, and others --I was reminded of some of the more awful moments of my past. If I had only... Had I not... Regret. Holy regret. Is there such a thing? I think so. Those moments when we realize just how unmanageable our lives had become as the result of decisions we believed to be infinitesimal, inconsequential; occasions upon which we were given the choice to obey, but sensed no penalty if we did not.

Conversely, I was reminded of my tenure with a large corporation. So many of the big problems were caused by little ones, mere oversights, miniscule transgressions. One of my mentors would remind us often: Take care of the little things, and the big things will take care of themselves. 

Is it not so with our spiritual lives? Hebrews 12:14, 15 warn:

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

Notice where it all starts: pursuing peace with others and holiness (the pursuit of Christlikeness) before God. Then, the explanation in the form of progression; from falling short of what God intends, to bitterness rooted and causing discord, to the poisoning of many. A small thing, a disagreement, a hurt can lead to infection in the body; it can cause us to fall into conflict, not peace, with others and corrupt us.

Matthew 5:23, 24 commands:

Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Immediately, in the midst of what you are doing. Why? Because the condition of our hearts, the pain and strife residing there impact not only our relationship with our brother, but our worship. There is a chain reaction that can throw us off course; that can affect those worshipping around us. Just a small thing, right? A tiny offense.

James 3:5, 6 reminds us of the damage a small, unchecked member of the body can inflict:

Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. 

The spark of a careless remark, the flicker of a covetous thought permitted to be expressed --and the body of Christ is brought to corruption, its reputation called into question. All because one small thing was permitted off leash, permitted to take hold, permitted to fester, thus allowing a member of the body to fall ill with unholiness, and the entire body to be poisoned.

Take care of the little things and the big things will take care of themselves. If only I hadn't listened to gossip. If only I hadn't repeated it. If only I had been honest with him about the way his behavior impacts others. If only I hadn't led them to believe I was in agreement but gently expressed what has been on my heart. If only I had taken more time to pray about it. If only I'd removed the plank from my own eye before I confronted her about that speck in hers. 

If we do what Scripture teaches us to do, all day, every day, all of life will remain on track (or, afloat, as the case may be). Not perfect, mind you, but in accordance with God's Word. If we surrender our hearts to the examination of the Holy Spirit and make the necessary changes, who we are and who Christ is, can never be called into question. We can know that whatever life sends hurtling toward us will not condemn us or destroy us, but will only bring us closer to becoming who we are meant to be.